Rosacea

I've just seen a dermatologist cos a weird red patch appeared on my cheek. I've been told it's rosacea and I've been given some antibiotics and cream to hopefully clear it up. I was just wondering if anyone else had experienced rosacea and had any tips or info? I've been really lucky and had quite nice skin my whole life up till now so I've never really had to think about stuff like this before! Any hints would be really appreciated!

I've always had good skin but a patch of rosacea appeared on my chin a few years ago and NOTHING has worked to clear it up. And makeup seems to disappear on top of it. Doctors have told me it's hormonal -- I occasionally get patches on my cheeks that face away on their own -- but the patch on my chin seems to be there for good.

Nothing really can "cure" rosacea, it's one of those skin conditions like keratosis pilaris, you can treat it...but really the only amelioration is for it to clear up on it's own.

However, reducing inflammation can definitely help, this is why topical hydrocortisone, NSAIDs and cortisol are usually prescribed...but those can lead to more damage with long term use.

The best thing to do is to avoid things high in sugar, etc, things that you are sensitive to. Some people say Omega-3s and things like fish oil help, but there's been no empirical data to back up those claims.

PB takes Omega 3 and fish oil capsules and hardly ever eats sweet things, but it still doesn't go away. Tried all the things you mentioned but now don't use anything at all, except for good-quality makeup. It generally last about half an hour before the rosacea starts to show.

My doc tried me on a cream called Trimovate a few months ago. It really took down the redness but the little bumps were still there. Although it helped with the appearance it didn't cure the problem and as soon as I stopped using it the redness came back. Apparently Trimovate can't be used long-term anyway cos it thins the skin and can make it worse!!

I can imagine how frustrated you must feel. I call it my scabby face disease!! It's really good to know someone else who has it but I can't believe your doc can't help you with it anymore. That must be terrible. I'm sure there must be another cream or something they could put you on.

Thanks for the info SVZ, gonna look for some mineral make-up and give it a go!

I wash my face with a combo of jojoba oil mixed with a few drops of tea tree oil. I first slosh lukewarn water on my face, and massage both oils in my face. Then I use a soft wash cloth and warm water to gently remove. Then i use Metrogel as directed.